Open to the Public

Why You Should Visit

The Goosewing Beach Preserve is a magnificent system of pristine coastal pond, beach and dune environments. This is one of Rhode Island's most scenic spots and a favorite among visitors. Purchased in 1989 by The Nature Conservancy and partners, the 75 acre Goosewing Beach Preserve is an historic landmark. Conservancy staff have been actively managing breeding populations of globally-rare Piping Plover and state-threatened Least Tern for the last two decades. With the help of an extremely generous donor, The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island opened the doors of a newly constructed environmental education center in June of 2010. The Benjamin Family Environmental Center is ideally situated to offer visitors a view of the many types of habitats that make up this coastal pond/barrier beach ecosystem and offers seasonal nature walks and special events. Check for current listings at Field Trips & Events.

Location

Little Compton, in southeastern Rhode Island

Size

75 acres

What to Expect

During the summer months, the Town of Little Compton manages recreational use of the beach through an agreement with The Nature Conservancy. Access to the preserve is through South Shore Beach. There is a fee at the town beach parking area during the summer months only. For the 2012 season the parking fee is $12/day on weekdays and $15/day on the weekends. The fee is charged from 8:00am until 4:00pm daily and from, approximately, Memorial Day until Labor Day. Please leave your pets at home, and do not enter fenced areas marked off by enclosures. No dogs are allowed on the preserve from April 1st until September1st.

Why the Conservancy Selected this SiteWorking with the Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust and the RI Department of Environmental Management, the Conservancy bought Goosewing Beach in 1989 is managed by the Conservancy for endangered shorebirds. It is one of only five known breeding sites in Rhode Island for the globally rare piping plover. In addition, this area provides excellent breeding habitat for the least tern, which is a state-threatened species. The piping plover and the least tern were hunted almost to the point of extinction in the early 1900s. Along the Atlantic Coast, their populations were further impacted by increased ocean front development, dune stabilization and beach improvement projects, increased recreational use, and predation by dogs, skunks, raccoons, mink and gulls.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

The Nature Conservancy hires a Plover Warden and a Goosewing Beach Preserve Manager during nesting season (mid-April to early-September) to monitor and protect the species and to help educate beach-goers about the sensitive wildlife that inhabit the area.

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We hope you enjoy visiting our preserves in any season. We ask that you please observe the following guidelines:

Stay on the walking trails, using marked trails wherever they exist.

Respect preserve open hours (one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset). Overnight camping is not allowed.

Do not ride horses, bikes or any motorized vehicle through preserves or on the trails.

Do not disturb bird nesting areas. Between April 15 and September 1, nesting areas may be off-limits to visitors. People or dogs can easily destroy a nest with one misstep.

Leave your pets at home, for the safety of the fragile ecology of preserves and as a courtesy to other visitors.

Contact our office in Providence to visit those preserves that have restricted public access because of their very sensitive flora and fauna. These places deserve special respect and are best visited only on guided field trips.

Do not remove any living materials from a preserve or disturb any vegetation.

Remove any trash you create and, if possible, any garbage that you see left by someone else.

When visiting Block Island or Prudence Island in the spring, summer and fall, dress in long pants and socks to avoid deer ticks. After any walk on a preserve, it is a good idea to check for ticks when you return home.

Directions

Continue past Tiverton Four Corners until you see a sign for The Commons

Turn left on Meeting House Lane toward the Commons and follow to its end

Turn right at Wilbur's store onto South Commons Road

When you come to a "T" intersection, turn left onto Brownell Road and then take your first right onto South Shore Road.

Stay on this road - it will take a sharp left and deposit you on Little Compton's South Shore Beach.

To access Goosewing Beach Preserve, you must cross South Shore Beach. The town of Little Compton charges a parking fee from, approximately, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Call the Little Compton town hall for current rates.

Goosewing Beach is a narrow wave-washed beach and a primary nesting site for piping plovers and least terns, two of the state's most threatened birds. Since 1984, several pairs of piping plovers have nested in the sandy areas bordering the breachway of Goosewing Beach. The muddy flats of the adjacent salt pond provide an important food source for the plovers as well as a safe brood-rearing area. Least terns have been found nesting on the upper reaches of the beach, often nesting alongside the piping plover.

Discussion

Have you been to this preserve? Are you thinking of visiting? See what others are saying about their experiences and add your comments below.

Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 53-0242652) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.